Tesla CEO Elon Musk has donated $45 million to a super PAC dedicated to re-electing former President Donald Trump, a remarkable shift in the political landscape by the world’s richest person. According to a Wall Street Journal a reportCiting people familiar with the matter.
Just days before his public endorsement of the former president, Musk donated to the American Political Action Committee, a low-profile group formed in June to fund Trump’s presidential campaign. He had previously pledged not to donate to either Biden or Trump in their White House rematch.
“Just to be very clear, I am not donating money to any candidates for President of the United States,” Musk wrote on X in March.
But Musk has shifted politically in recent months, accelerated by his continued support for Trump, which Musk reiterated in the wake of the attempted assassination of the presumptive Republican nominee at a campaign rally on Saturday. As CEO of an electric-car maker — the Tesla Model Y was last year’s best-selling car in progressive California — it’s unclear whether Musk’s stance will clash with the political leanings of electric-car buyers.
Beyond Musk, big tech money is flowing into the PAC from Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Joe Lonsdale, the co-founder of Palantir Technologies, The Wall Street Journal It has been reported.
Political transformation
Musk, who has donated to both Democrats and Republicans, has previously described himself as an independent who donates only to expand his influence among politicians.
He donated about $80,639 per election cycle from 2004 to 2020, according to the nonprofit OpenSecrets. About 50.1% of that money went to Republican causes, out of 10… $688,350 which went directly to federal candidates and party committees.
“I participate in politics as little as possible,” he said during Vanity Fair Event 2015“There’s a lot of work I have to do, mostly because SpaceX has to fight Boeing and Lockheed for civil space launch and national security contracts. If we don’t fight that battle, we’re going to lose.”
Musk said he previously voted for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and current President Joe Biden, but also supported Republican House candidates during the 2022 race.
In recent years, Musk’s philosophy has shifted significantly away from neutrality toward a stronger right-wing position. some Trump has pointed to his 2022 purchase of X — formerly known as Twitter — as the beginning of his political involvement, giving himself a platform to support his repeated criticism of Biden.
“I voted 100% Democrat until a few years ago,” Musk said. He said In March. “Now I think we need a red wave or America will burn.”